Automatic tire pump



WLJ.THOMA AUTOMATI C TIRE PUMP Feb. ze, 1924. l ,4@84,914

Filed Oct. 12. 1922 f ibm /VE/VTOR. WALTER J. THOMAS.

' ATTORNEYS.

Yso

Patented Feb. 2S, i924.

.meenam ale-eaves Application nledpctcper n `12, j l1 3'22. HSerial, rNo'. @$4,177.

To, all whom/t may concer/n.'

Be it, known that 1,"VVALfI1nRA J. THoMAs, a citizen'of the United States, residing at Modesto, county of Stanislaus, and State of California, chave invented 'new andv useful `improvements in anAutomatic Tire'lump, of Vwhich the following is a specification. *This* invention relates to pneumatic tires suchras used on automobiles and the like, and more particularly to a pump carried by the wheel and actuated thereby, whereby any predetermined pressuredesired maybe maintained in the tire.

^ The object Aof the present invention is to generally improve and simplify `devices, of the character described to provide a pumping unit which be readily attached vto anystandard wheel now in use; to provide means'whereby a reciprocal movement will be automatically imparted to the pump during turning movement of the wheel; and further to provide an ladjustable relief valve whereby the air will be by-passed when a desired predetermined pressure is obtained 4in the tire. ither objects will hereinafter appear.

One form which my inventionvmay Vassume is vexemplifiedy in the following description andy illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a sectional broken away viewy of an automobile wheel, showing'the application of the invention.

`Fig. 2 is a side elevation of. the pump.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A indicates the' hub of an automobile wheel, 2 the spokes, 3 the spindle about which the wheel rotates, 4L a stationary cam on the spindle, 5 the felloe lof the wheel, 6 the inner tube of a pneumatic tire, and 7 the tire valve. Disposed intermediate the tire valve and the hub of the wheel is a pumping unit generally indicated at B. v,The pumping unit consists of a cylinder 8 in which is mounteda piston 9. The piston is secured on the vupper end of a rodv which is rnade in two sectionsfas indicated at 10 and 11. rlhese'sections are'connected" by Ya threadedcoupling 12, whereby the clearance of the piston'with relation tothe vhead of the cylinderrmay bejincreased or Vdecreased, and' whereby the rod'nfsectionsumay be Y imcoupled lwhenl in'"stallingy or removing the pumping unit. :The vc0upling`12'is normally covered a `sleeve 13 'frictionallywor otherwise secured andas such may be either raisedor lowered when the coupling is being adjusted or juncoupled.

`The 'cylinder yproper indicated at V8 is closed at the upper end andis provided with a centrally threaded opening 14, whereby a connection is'made with' the pneumatic tire valve 7. The head of the cylinderis otherwise provided'with one or more ball checks, such as indicated at 15, which vare held against seats 16V by Vmeansofy a ring or washer 17 and a spring'18'. The tension of this .spring maybe adjusted by an exterior cap or cylinder 1,9.- This cylinder has a threaded connection with relation to the cylinder. 8,.as shown at 20, and vertical adjustment" of lthe Icylinder l19 is thus permitt'ed. vThis; vertical adjustment increases or decreases the tension ofthe spring 18 and as such determines the pressure yunder which the ball checks operate. Thecylin'der or capv19 is also providedV with one 'or more vents as showmat 21,through rwhich'air is freelyy admitted, and'fitis furthermore provided with a `rreading opening 22 Vnormally l'covered a plate 5 28. 'One sidey of the `'cylinder-.8,is graduated, as 'indicated at. 24, and these graduations'may be viewed through they' openingr4 22 when the plate 23 is swung to one side as-shown inFig. 2. ThatY is if it is desired to maintain a 'pressureof vseventy-live pounds in the tire, the cylinder 19 isturned until the opening 23 registers with the graduation marked seventy-five.' Thisgraduationis so positioned that the tension of spring 18 will retain the ball'checks in closed position until Ythis pressure ,is reached. Any'excess 4pressure willthen ll'fttheiball checks and theV air will be luy-passed and thus' permitted yto escape; this being important as the Apressure in the tire might lotherwise beccme eX- cessive. yThe piston 9 is reciprocated during the rotation of the wheel "asthe spindle?) and the .4? are )SiafiQnary iTh sam ggg Y forces the rod'sections 10 and 11 outwardly v and a spring returns the piston and rod.

This spring is located in the lower end of the cylinder 8 and is interposedbetween a collar 26 secured on the rod section 10, and an adjustable nut- 27v positioned interior of the cylinder.

ln actual operation if it is desired tol install a pumping unit such as here shown in an Vordinary automobile wheel, it is only necessary to drill a hole through the hub of the wheel, between two of the spokes as shown in Fig. 1, and to line this hole witha sleeve orbushing as shown at 28. rllhe cam is then applied to the spindle and issecured thereto in any suitable manner. The cylinder 8 is then connected to the valvestem 7 by screwing it on the outer end thereofl and the lower Irod section 11 is inallyinserted andconnectedby means of the coupling 12. The cylinder cap`19 is then turned until .the reading opening 22 registers with the numeral YVindicating the pressure desired, and when this Yes ' during the outward stroke of the'piston and adjustment has been made, the device is ready for operation and will automatically maintain the pressure indicated when the automobile is travelling..V That is each revolution of the Wheel will impart'one reciprocalmovement to the piston-9, air being admitted toV the cylinder through perforations 29 during each suction stroke. This air is compressed operative and the air Vwill `again Y enter through valve 7 rllhe entire device is automatic in operation and requires no attention or care once installed and adjusted.r A small amount of lubricant may be injected through Y the openings 21 from time to time, but it is hardly required as a cup leather is employed on the piston. Y n

If a fairly high pressure' is required in the tire andY it is found thatthe Vclearance'between'the piston and the `head of the cylinder is tooV great it is possible to decrease the clearance, and thereby increase the pressure of the pump by adjusting the screw coupling indicated-at 12.' Again, if it is desired to remove the pumping unit for inspection, repair, or otherwise, it is quickly and readily accomplished as it is only necessary to disconnect the coupling-12 and unscrew the cylinder with relation to the tire valve 7. The pumping unit here illustrated is installed-on each wheel, and each tire is therefore taken care of and the necessity of running any distance on a flat tire is avoided in most instances, and thelife and general rid-` ing qualitiesof the tire should therefore be materially improved Y While certain features of the present invention are more Vor less specifically illus-V trated, l wish it understood that various changes in form and proportion may be re-V V sorted to within Vthe scope of the appended claims, similarly that the materialsand finish Y i 1. ln adevice ofthe character described -k a cylinder, a piston reciprocally mounted therein, a head member lforming `a closure for Vone end of the cylinder, a threaded disiwan,

foration in the Y formed at one end thereof, a ball valve engageable with the seat, a washer engageable with the ball valve, a cap carried by the-cylin Vgli charge opening in said head member, a pern'rcmber having a seat v der and vertically adjustable with relation Y to the washer, and-a spr-ing interposed between the washer and the cap, said spring,

washer and ball valvebeingenclosedby the cap. Y

2Q ln a device of the characterldescribed', a

therein, a head member 'forming a closure forl one end of the cylinder, a threaded discharge openingrin said head' member, a perforation in the head member having a'seat cylinder, a piston reciprocallyy .mountedY ico formed at one end thereof, a ball fvalvefen- Y gageable with the seat, a washer engageable f with the ball valve, a'cap carried by thecylinder and vertically adjustable with relation to the washer, a spring interposed between .the washer-and the cap, said spring, nwasherrand ballrvalve being enclosed by the cap, a graduated scale on one side ofthe cylinder, andY a reading opening formed in the cap adapted to register with said-scale. Y

3. In a device of the character cylinder, a piston reciprocally mountedV therein, a head memberforming a closure for one end vof the cylinder, a threaded discharge described a Y in the head member havinga seat formed atv and .the cap, saidspring, washerand.ballV valve being enclosed by the cap, an adjustablelnut in thel cylinder through which the interposed between the adjustable nut the collar.

alsV

115 opening in said head member, a perforation Y rodextends, a collar on the rod, and a spring c 4. In a device of the character described a the cylinder, a niurality of ba11 cheeks earpumping unit comprising a cylinder, a head ried by the cylinder head and in communimember forming a closure for one end of the cation with the interior of the cylinder, a l@ cylinder and having a discharge opening Washer engaging ,said ball cheeks and a 5 formed therein, a thread formed on the exspring interposed between the cap and said terior of the cylinder, a cap engaging the Washer. thread and forming an exterior cover for WALTER J. THOMAS. 

